Automatic shuttle changer for double fabric looms



B. J. M. A. DELAROIERE 2,560,687 AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE CHANGER FOR DOUBLE FABRIC Looms July 17, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1947 July 17, 1951 B. J. M. A. DELAROIERE 2,560,687

AUTOM ATIC SHUTTLE CHANGER FOR DOUBLE" FABRIC LOOHS Filed Nov. 4, 194 7 3Sheets-Shet 3 Patented July 17, 1951 AUTOMATIC SHUTTLE CHANGER FOR 1 DOUBLE FABRICLOOMS Bernard Joseph Marie Alfred Delaroiere, Amienl,

cc, assignor to Delarolere & LeOlercq, 8o-

oit a Responsabilite Llmite, Amien France,

a corporation of France Application November 4, 194.7, Serial No. 784,064 In France August 29, 1947 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-231) with a reciprocating straight-line stroke in step with the batten of the loom. With such looms, each of the two shuttles carries the weft thread for one of the piecesof cloth. The shuttles are thrown at the same time from two boxes located at each end of the batten so as to move to and fro, at the same time and in the same direction, respectively between the warp threads of the upper cloth and between the .warp threads of the lower cloth.

It is common practice, too, that uch two-cloth weaving looms are furnished with a warp protector and a weft-fork, but that the re-stocking of weft has to be done by hand with the loom stopped. In order to have fewer holdups and to occupy less of the loom attendant's time, the two shuttles, that form part of the loom equipment,

are loaded at one and the same time as soon as one of themis exhausted. It will be readily understood under these circumstances, that a lot of the loom attendants time is taken up and that stoppages of the loom occur too often. This involves engaging too many hands, and the result is a substantial drop in overall efllciency accompanied by a serious loss of raw material as far as weft is concerned and incidentally the production of unsatisfactory woven goods.

The object of the invention is to supply the automatic operation of the weaving-looms of the type mentioned above so that there maybe an entire elimination of such handicaps as outlined above.

The purpose of the invention is a modification of a typical two-cloth weaving-loom with two shuttles wherein the shuttles are changed individually, without taking any of the attendants time or causing any stoppage of the loom, as soon as their content is used up. A full shuttle auto matically enters the operating circuit as soon as an empty shuttle is discarded.

The characteristics of the invention, will appear from the following disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings that illustrate. ina diagrammatic way and as an example, a set up of such an improved loom design In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the batten of an improved type of loom working two pieces of cloth and employing two shuttles.

Figs. 2 and 3 are two sectional views taken respectively through the two lines 11-11 and III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, seen from the rear representing the assembly of the three boxes placed on top of one another and provided at one of the ends of the batten.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing the position of the superimposed boxes and shuttle-loader at the precise instant when a shuttle is brought into the upper box. I

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5 and shows the position of the three superimposed boxes just as the emptied shuttle is being discarded.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing in a. diagrammatic way an automatic control gear.

- Referring more especially to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, i denotes the horizontal transverse carrier of the batten of a two-cloth weaving-loom with twoshuttles comprising at one of its ends two superimposed shuttle boxes 2 and 3. These twoboxes 2 and 3 that-are similar to those used on present standard looms, are fixed in relation to the carrier I and are intendedto hold respectively in the usual way the shuttle working between the warp threads of the lower piece of cloth (hereinafter called the lower shuttle) and the one operating between the warp threads of the upper piece (hereinafter called the upper shuttle).

. At its end opposite that carrying the fixed boxes 2 and 3 the transverse carrier l is fitted with three superimposed boxes 4, 5 and 6 that are bound together through their rear surfaces by a strut I,

Fig. 4', adapted to slide in relation to the transverse carrier in such a way that the box 4 that should normally be on the same level as box 2 may, for the discard of an empty shuttle and the automatic introduction into the operating circuit of'a full shuttle, be lowered to the level of a groove 8 out along the whole length ofthe transverse carrier I while the boxes 5 and 6 are brought respectively, to the level of boxes 2 and 3. In order to allow the lowering of these three boxes I, 5 and 6. the corresponding end of the transverse carrier l is recessed over a length equal to that of the boxes as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3.

The upper box 6 has only to be used transiently for placing a full shuttle in its operative position; the consequence is that box '5 that ordinarily takes the upper shuttle must nevertheless, as will be seen later, be capable of being used at this moment for throwing the lower shuttle. As furthermore the slope to be given to the bottoms of the, boxes varies according as to whether they correspond to the upper shuttle or to the lower shuttle, it is essential to give the bottom of box two different slopes, according as to whether it is employed for the throwing of the upper shuttle or for the throwing of the lower shuttle. With this object in view, the bottom 9 of the box 5 is hinged round a horizontal axis III, with its free edge connected, by two rods II, to the bottom l2 of the box 6. A return spring I3 is set on each rod; the bottom 9 cooperates with a plate l4 fitted on the front face of the carrier I and which is of a height allowing not only to be hit by the bottom 9 when the boxes 4, 5 and 6 are lowered, but further to give this bottom the slope that it should have when the box 5 is used for the lower shuttle and has sunk into its lower position.

For the purpose of bringing a full shuttle into the box 6, a loader is used (see Figs. 5 and 6) that includes a sloping rest l5, on which are arranged full shuttles Hi. This rest shows along its front edge a slot parallel to this edge, of a size large enough for the travel through it of a full shuttle l6 and that is closed by two spring flaps l1 and I8. A shover member I9, pivoting round a fixed horizontal axis 20 and subjected to the action of a spring 2|, serves for the throwing out, one by one, of the full shuttles l5. As illustrated, the member l9, of which the stroke is adjustable by means of two movable stops 22 and 23, is subjected to the action of a bent lever 24 ending in a hinged shank 25, that may be brought into alignment with the practically horizontal arm of the bent lever, by means of a cam 26 turning round an axis 21. When the shank 25 is actually in alignment with the practically horizontal arm of the bent lever 24 (shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 5), it may be hit by a stop 28 fixed on the front face of the transverse carrier on the same side asthe boxes 4, 5 and 6, during the conventional movement of the carrier I. Normally, the shank 25, under its own gravity and owing to the normal position of the cam 21 is in a lowered position clearing the path of the stop shuttle that must be discarded, use may be made of the automatic control illustrated in Fig. '7.

28, as shown in full lines in Fig. 5. When, on

the other hand, the shank 25 is raised and engaged by the stop 28, the bent lever 24 will be shifted on its support I4 in a direction of the arrow 13, and that movement be transferred to the shover l9 by means of a pin I6 on the lever 24 and a slot 15 in the shover l9, causing the latter to rock and to expel downwardly from its position a full shuttle H5. The shover l9 and the lever 24 are returned to their normal position under the impulse of the spring 2|. As the carrier l is a part of the batten, the shover I9 is therefore controlled with relation by the batten.

As shown in Fig. 1 a picker stick 19 carries three picker heads 1| that are disposed, respectively, in the boxes 4, 5 and 6, oscillating. back and forth therein as impelled by the picker stick Ill; each of the picker heads 1|, furthermore, remains in its respective box throughout the downward and upward movement thereof by sliding along the picker stick 10 during the vertical box movements.

In order to get the result sought for, that, has been said, is the automatic placing in operative This control comprises a feeler 29, capable of coming into contact with the thread wound on the cop of the lower shuttle 30, when the latter is put in the box 2. The feeler 29 is in contact with the end of a bent lever 3|,"set in a support 32, pivoting round a vertical axis 33, rigid with the frame of the loom. At its end opposite to that in contact with the feeler 29, the lever 3| is adapted to engage a stop 34 slidably secured on a vertical lever 35. The latter is carried by a horizontal shaft 36, extending throughout the length of the loom and capable of turning in two bearings 31 rigid with the frame of the loom. The stop 34 is set so that it may be caught or not, according as to whether the feeler 29 remains stationary or not, by -a nose-piece 38 at the end of a bent lever 39 pivoting round a horizontal axis 49 and controlled by a cam 4| keyed to the camshaft 42 of the loom.

At its end opposite that connected with the lever 35, the shaft 36 carries a second lever 43 yieldingly connected with a triangular selector plate 44 pivoting round a vertical axis 45. At one of its angles, the plate 44 is connected through a rod 46 with the cam 26 controlling the hinged shank 25 of the shuttle loader control system. At another of its angles, the plate 44 is connected through a rod 41 with a cam 49 adapted to pivot on a. horizontal axis rigid with the frame of the loom. The cam 48 is always in contact with the lower surface of an arm 49, pivoting round an axis 50 on the frame of the loom and supporting a roller 5| adapted to come into contact with a cam 52 keyed to the camshaft '42 of the loom.

During the time the automatic control does not operate, that is to say before this control is released, the cam 48 remains stationary in a position in which the arm 49 is raised with the roller 5| out of contact with the cam 52.

At its free end, the arm 49 is linked up through two interengaging hinged levers 53 and 54, to a rod 55 rigid with the box-carrying strut I (Fig. 4). As illustrated, the rod 55 is rigid with a cross-piece 55 connected by two sliding rods 51 associated with springs 58, to a second crosspiece 59 linked through two rods 60 to a distance piece 6| connecting two supports 62 fastened to the strut Between the two crosspieces 56 and 59 are placed two bars 63 and 54 that slide on with reference to one another. Through this method of assembly, the three boxes 4, 5 and 6 are flexibly supported.

The operation of the two-piece weaving loom with two shuttles including the devices that have been disclosed, is as follows:

After checking that the lower shuttle in the box 2 or 4 contains a distinctly shorter lengthof thread than that of the upper shuttle in box 3 or 5, the weaving-loom is started in the usual way.

As long as the lower shuttle contains thread, it urges back each time it comes into the box 2 the feeler 29, that acts on the stop 34 so that the latter is not caught by the nose-piece 33 of the lever 39 that is always in motion under the influence of the cam 4|. Since the stop 34 is not caught by the nose-piece 38, all the transmission gear, starting with the lever 35, remains stationary.

When the lower shuttle on coming into the box 2 has no longer enough thread except for the feeler' 29 remains stationary and, consequently does not influence the stop ll. At this instant, the latter is met by the nose-piece ll of the lever 39 that draws along with it thelever 35, that causes in its turn the shaft It to rock in the direction of the arrow oi Figure '7.

' The rotation of the shaft 36 causes rotation of the plate. 4:, with the following results:-

(I) It causes the cam 26 to turn so that it brings the shank v25 into the position where it may be engaged by the stop 28 for introducing a full shuttle It into the box 6;

(2) It causes the cam 48 to turn so as to allow the roller II to come into contact with the cam 52 of which the outline is designed in such a way that, through the agency of arm ll, of levers 53, and 54 and rod 55, the three boxes 4, 5 and 6 may be lowered and raised while the loom executes two revolutions starting from the moment considered when the lower shuttle having thrown its last welt-thread but one comes into the box 2.

The action of the cam is such that the lowering of the boxes I, 5 and 8 is carried out after the lower shuttle, having thrown its last weftthread, has arrived in the box I, so that this shuttle may be thrown out through the channel 8 at the same time as the shuttles contained in the upper and medial boxes! and 6 will be thrown, respectively, between the warp threads or the lower piece and those of the upper piece. As the picker heads Ii accompany the vertical movement of the boxes, the lowermost picker head, during its oscillating movementas impelled by the picker stick Ill, will expel the empty shuttle through the channel 8 when the boxes are lowered. As to the subsequent raising of boxes 4, 5 and 6, this occurs immediately after the three shuttles, one of which is empty, have a bination of a batten,-a series of three superposed shuttle boxes on one side of the batten of which two contain shuttles that are operative ata time and means whereby the substantial exhaustion of the lower shuttle provides for the introduction of a fresh shuttle into the third box and -the ejection of the last mentioned operative shuttle when exhausted with a transfer of the weaving .oi the; two cloths to the fresh shuttle and'to the'unexhausted shuttle of the previouslyoperative two shuttles considered and a horizontal cross member for the batten provided throughout its length with a channel for the ejected exhausted shuttle.

2. In a double cloth weaving loom oi the type used for producing velvet and plush, the combination of a batten, two superposed shuttle boxes rigid with one end of said batten three superposed shuttle boxes carried in common vertical sliding relationship by the other end of said batten, of which latter the two lower boxes are normally operative for producing the two cloths respectively. means for transiently shifting the three superposed boxes downwardly when the thread supply in the lower shuttle is near exhaustion, means for feeding a full shuttle into the upper box of the lowered series of three boxes, means for transiently continuing the weaving operation from the shuttles in the two upper boxes of said lowered series, means for ejecting the empty shuttle from the lowermost box of the series and thereby allowing the two been thus thrown, in such a way that the two shuttles remaining operative may arrive in the boxes 4 and 5 as during normal operation oi. the loom. o

, When the lowering and raising motions of the boxes 4, 5 and 6 are ended, a return spring working on the lever 35 brings all the control gear back into its inoperative position, that is to say causes the cams 26 and to turn so that the shank 25 is lowered and the roller II is no longer in contact with the cam 52.

It follows from the above that it is always the lower shuttle that is thrown out, while the upper shuttle replaces it and is in its turn replaced'by a Iullshuttle put into operation automatically.

The main beneficial feature of the invention lies in the elimination of all manual control and all stoppages required heretofore in current practice for the replacement of the shuttles, and which are expressed in a much greater production cost through a drop in the overall efliciency.

It is obvious that the invention is not restricted to the structural features that have been 1. In a double cloth weaving loom or the type used for producing velvet and plush, the comoperative shuttles to drop into the corresponding twolowermost boxes respectively and a horizontal cross-member for the batten provided throughout sliding [relationship by the other end 01 said batten, ofwhich latter the two lower boxes are normally operative for producing the two cloths respectively, means for transiently shiftingthe 1 three superposed boxes downwardly when the thread supply-in the lower shuttle is near exhaustion meansfor feeding a full shuttle into the upper box of the lowered series of three boxes,

means for transiently continuing the weaving operation from the shuttles in the two upper boxes of said lowered series, the lowermost boxincluding a bottom pivotally secured to the'remainder of said box so as to assume selectively two different inclinations corresponding respectively to operations with the upper cloth and with the lower cloth, a'station'ary member rigid with the batten controlling said slope according to the vertical location of the three boxes, and means for ejecting the empty shuttle from the lowermost box of the series and thereby allowing the two operative shuttles to drop into the corresponding two lowermost boxes respectively.

. 4. In a double cloth weaving loom of the type Q used for producing velvet and plush, the combination of a batten, two superposed shuttle boxes rigid with one end of said batten, three superposed shuttle boxes carried in common vertical sliding relationship by the other end of said batten, 01' which latter the two lower boxes are normally operative for producing the two cloths respectively a horizontal cross member for the batits' length with a channel for the ejection of the exhausted shuttle from the lower position of the lowermost box oi the series of ten having throughout its length a channel for the ejection of the exhausted shuttle from the lower position of the lowermost box of the series of three boxes, thread containing shuttles adapted to be held in the different boxes in succession, a thread supply sensing device adapted to assume two different positions according as to whether the thread supply in the lower dperative shuttle is partially or fully exhausted, a mechanism controlled by saidsensing means adapted to shift the boxes upwardly and downwardly between a lower position for which the bottomof the lower box registers with the passage through the cross member of the batten and a higher normal operative position registering with the cooperating box at the other end of the batten, means controlled by said mechanism for feeding a full shuttle into the upper box of the lowered series of three boxes, means for transiently continuing the weaving operation from the shuttles in the two upper boxes of said lowered series and means for ejecting the empty shuttle from the lowermost box of the series into the ejection channel and thereby allowing the two operative shuttles to drop into the corresponding two lowermost boxes respectively.

5. In a double cloth weaving loom of the type used for producing velvet and plush, the combination of a batten, two superposed shuttle boxes rigid with one end of said batten, three superposed shuttle boxes carried in common vertical u the shuttles in the two upper boxes of the three sliding relationship by the other end of said batten, of which latter the two lower boxes are normally operative for producing the two cloths respectively, means for transiently shifting the three superposed boxes downwardly when the thread supply in the lower shuttle isvnear exhaustion, loading means for full shuttles above the group of three boxes and including a carrier member provided with an opening for the transfer of a full shuttle into the upper box of the three boxes and a pusher member operated by the batten to transfer the lowermost full shuttle into said upper box, means associated with the box shifting means controlling the operativeness of said pusher member, means for transiently continuing the weaving operation from the shuttles in the two upper boxes of said lowered series, and means for ejecting in a direction of the movement of the remaining shuttles the empty shuttie from the lowermost box of the series and thereby allowing the two operative shuttles to drop into the corresponding two lowermost boxes respectively.

6. In a double cloth weaving loom of the type used for producing velvet and plush, the combination of a batten, two superposed shuttle boxes rigid with one end of said batten, three superposed shuttle boxes carried in common vertical sliding relationship by the other end of said batten of which latter the two lower boxes are normally operative for producing the two cloths respectively, means for transiently shifting the three superposed boxes downwardly when the thread supply in the lower shuttle is near ex haustion, loading means for full shuttles above the group of three boxes including a carrier member provided with an opening for the transfer of.a full shuttle into the upper box of the three boxes and a pusher member operated by the batten to transfer the lowermost full shuttle on the carrier into said upper box, a bent lever with a substantially horizontal arm controlling the pusher member, a tail piece pivotally secured to the end of said horizontal arm, a

box series when lowered and means for electing the empty shuttle in a direction of the movement of the remaining shuttles from the lowermost box of the series and thereby allowing the two operative shuttles to drop into thecorrespending two lowermost boxes respectively.

'7. In a double cloth weaving loom of the type used for producing velvet and plush, the combination of a batten, two superposed shuttle boxes rigid with one end of said batten, three superposed shuttle boxesj carried in common vertical sliding relationship by the other end of said batten, of which latter the two lower boxes are normally operative for producing the two cloths respectively and one having a movable bottom shiftable between two positions of inclination, means for transiently shifting the three superposed boxes downwardly, loading means for full shuttles above the group of three boxes including a carrier member provided with an opening for the transfer of a full shuttle into the'upper box of the three boxes and a pusher member operated by the batten for urging the shuttles through said loading means for transferring the lowermost shuttle on the carrier into said upper box, a bent lever with a substantially horizontal arm, controlling the pusher member, a tail piece pivoted to the end of said horizontal arm, a cam controlling the angular setting of said tail-piece, a stop carried by the batten and adapted to engage the outer end of the pivoted tail-piece when in its raised position for the rearmost position of the batten, thread supply sensing means adapted to control the cam controlling the tail piece and also to control the vertical box shifting means, said sensing means being operative at the moment of exhaustion of the thread supply in the lower shuttle contained in the lower box of the group of two boxes facing the three superposed boxes, means for transiently continuing the weaving operation from the shuttles in the two upper boxes of said lowered series and means for ejecting the empty shuttle from the lowermost box of the series and thereby allowing the two operative shuttles to drop into the corresponding two lowermost boxes respectively.

8. In a double cloth weaving loom of the type used for producing velvet and plush, the combination of a batten, two superposed shuttle boxes rigid with one end of said batten, three superposed shuttle boxes carried in common vertical sliding relationship by the other end of said batten, of which latter the two lower boxes are normally operative for producing the two cloths respectively, means for transiently shifting the three superposed boxes downwardly, loading means for full shuttles above the group of three boxes and including a carrier member provided with an opening for the transfer of a full shuttle into the upper box of the three boxes and a pusher member operated by said batten for urging the shuttles through said loading means for transferring the lowermost shuttle into said upper box, a bent lever with a substantially horizontal arm controlling the pusher member, a tail piece pivoted to the end of said horizontal arm,

a cam controlling the angular setting of said tail-piece, a stop carried by the batten and adapted to engage the outer end of the pivoted tail piece when in its raised position for the rearmost position of the batten, thread supply sensing means held in receded position at the moment of exhaustion of the thread supply in the lower shuttle contained in the lower box of the group of two boxes facing the three superposed boxes, a movable stop controlled by the sensing means, a linkage adapted to cooperate with the stop, a cam controlling the vertical shifting of the three superposed boxes, a further cam adapted to rotate in unison with last mentioned cam and to control the position of the linkage to make it engage the movable stop when the thread supply sensing means are held in receded position, means whereby the operation of the loom controls the rotation of the two last mentioned cams, means whereby the linkage when engaged by the stop is adapted to control the operativeness of the first two cams mentioned, means for transiently continuing the weaving operation ing two lowermost boxes respectively.

BERNARD JOSEPH MARIE ALFRED DELAROIERE. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,793,325 Knowlton et a1 Feb. 11, 1931 2,056,695 Turner Oct. 6, 1936 2,065,771 Turner Dec. 29, 1936 2,149,692 Tirrell Mar. 7, 1939 

